The names being bandied about by Academy Award prognosticators as possibilities for this year's Best Supporting Actor trophy include some of the biggest stars of the last 50 years: Robert De Niro, Tommy Lee Jones, Leonardo DiCaprio, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Alan Arkin, Russell Crowe. There's one actor, however, that director Steven Soderbergh hopes isn't forgotten: Matthew McConaughey, the co-star of Soderbergh's "Magic Mike."

"I'm breaking my long standing embargo regarding pleas for recognition because the core creative team of 'Magic Mike' really hopes people are reminded at the end of the year of Matthew McConaughey’s performance as Dallas, which we found completely bananas in the best sense of the word."

McConaughey starred in four films this year -- "Magic Mike," "Killer Joe," "The Paperboy" and "Bernie" -- and the feeling among many this summer was that he could get rewarded come Oscar season for his scene-stealing "Magic Mike" role. That hasn't exactly panned out, if only because the category is so packed. McConaughey, however, isn't too concerned.

"I didn't think about whether it was possibly an awards-worthy role," McConaughey told Vulture in a recent interview. "The guy just resonated, and as I was performing him, every day felt like his creation just got more enriched and wider and bigger."